Boston Releases Audit of 1,200 City-Owned Parcels for Housing and Open Space

BOSTON — July 19, 2026 — Boston Mayor Wu unveils audit of more than 1,200 city-owned parcels for affordable housing and public development. Speaking at a Charlestown press conference held in a parking lot at Bunker Hill Community College, Wu announced the completion of a months-long cross-departmental land audit identifying 9.5 million square feet of vacant or underutilized city-owned land. Chief of Housing Sheila Dillon said the sites range from smaller parcels suited for homeownership to large transit-adjacent lots like the Charlestown site and to complex properties suitable for supportive housing for homeless residents. Chief of Planning Arthur Jemison described the release as "a public-private partnership pipeline where we get to say, partnering with neighbors, can we turn this parking lot into a combination of housing and all different levels, open space." The full inventory is available at boston.gov/housing in five languages, with a new digital mapping tool for resident feedback; community listening sessions will begin this summer in Charlestown.